François Bayrou denies paying assistants with EU funds

French Justice Minister François Bayrou on Wednesday denied media reports that his centrist Democratic Movement (MoDem) party misused European Parliament funds to pay its assistants.

Fake jobs at MoDem "never existed," Bayrou told RTL Wednesday after weekly newspaper Le Canard Enchaîné claimed that Karine Aouadj, a former personal assistant to Bayrou, has been paid with EU money but "never worked for Europe."

According to the media report, Aouadj was reportedly hired as a local parliamentary assistant to MEP Marielle de Sarnez, now minister for European affairs, in 2010. Aouadj would have worked as personal assistant to Bayrou until 2014, but never worked for the European institutions. During that time, her salary was paid both by the Parliament in Brussels and by MoDem.

The Paris prosecutor's office last week opened a preliminary investigation to establish whether MoDem had unlawfully tried to pass off some of its staff members parliamentary assistants.

Bayrou said that he trusted the outcome of the investigation into the allegations. "I am protecting the independence of the judges and I have confidence in them," he said.

Radio France reported that between 2009-2014 some 10 employees at the party's headquarters in Paris also reportedly worked as assistants to MoDem MEPs in Brussels, specifically de Sarnez and Sylvie Goulard, now minister of defense.

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Alan

How convenient these scandals turn up. Macron no longer needs Bayrou and the other ministers – so the little or should I say big black diary comes out. In it is written all the scandals of French politicians.
Macron mr clean is always the benefiaciary of these scandals

French people are not dumb the voters who did not bother to turn up can see this charlatan for what he is.

Look at who is funding him – the businessmen bankers and media moguls – all looking to deregulate France for their benefit against the people